A set of guidelines will be released soon which will aim to beef up cybersecurity efforts in the automotive industry, according to U.S Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. In July, Foxx made the announcement at the Billington Cybersecurity Summit in Detroit, where automakers and cyber security experts discussed the importance of better cybersecurity measures to prevent cars from getting hacked.

“There is no one company that can do on its own what all companies can accomplish together,” Foxx reasoned. Foxx told The Detroit Free Press that the government’s guidelines will encourage the industry to collaborate and share information about how to design software and also learn from other industries. “For better or worse, government has a reputation for moving slowly...but we hope that our guidance, when it is released, will break new ground.

The Detroit Free Press says that the issue of cybersecurity has been rapidly gaining traction in the auto industry. Due to the nature of today’s technology inside of vehicles, including assisted navigation and Bluetooth capabilities, it has become easier for connections to be made from outside of the vehicle. This issue will only continue to grow, as the innovation of self-driving cars will rely heavily on connected technology that will allow vehicles to communicate with each other. “We cannot underestimate the risk,” Mark Reuss, GM’s Executive Vice President of Global Product Development, said. Reuss added that auto companies are working alongside the U.S Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to develop the new guidelines.

Casey Ellis, who is the CEO of Bugcrowd, has said that the automotive industry deserves credit for making a lot of progress in a short amount of time. Bugcrowd is a firm which hires hackers to try and find security weaknesses for their clients. “Automakers are very focused on the security of their products,” Ellis said.

With advancements in hacking capabilities, car owners should take precautionary steps like not leaving valuable items such as their wallets, purses, or laptops in the vehicle overnight. Any suspicious activity should also be reported to the police immediately. Hackers are also capable of remotely hijacking vehicles while they are being driven, which could cause drivers to lose control of their cars. If you or somebody you know has been injured in an auto accident caused by a technological error, call The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC. Our attorneys will work alongside you to get you the help you deserve. Call us today, at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free consultation.